In the past, I've spoken of minor stuff -- like speeding the healing of a cut or scrape which seems kind of trivial compared to the real medical issues of others. Of note recently are those folks who are having digestive issues... and this article immediately screamed for me to link to here. Ya, I know it's in a 'magic and pagan' magazine but -- take out the 'magic' and think instead -- meditation, intention, focus and a touch of creative visualization and you are doing what we speak of here... working with your own energies, helping your own body heal itself and more.

An article by Taylor Ellwood from February 1, 2014. He touches on a point I think I've mentioned in several lesson responses regarding 'sitting with a tree' -- that being -- when one meditates with the tree -- to sit and try to become 'one with the tree', one must not try to make the tree a person and expect 'people responses/feelings'. Instead, one must really consider working to... well... let the tree teach you how to be a tree -- and 'see' how a tree works to speak to you in the tree's own tree-ness way.

So too for this article and how Mr. Ellwood works to get to the level of his gut bacteria. He does not try to make them chatty people bits but tries to get down to their level of bacteria-ness. And by learning how to do such a thing, he is working on seeing how he and 'they' can work in harmony to make the body a better place for both of them.

Made me think of all the diet, nutrient and medical 'tips' we've given to many folks with IBS or general food allergies, etc. Perhaps we should be using those as 'toe in the door' methods to get to what is posted at the link -- learning to use own mind, body, and energies (and a touch of the Force) to work *with* our bodies to help make adjustments and corrections.

Ya, not the more glamourous Jedi side of the Force -- stopping a stomach grumbling instead of double backflips while waving about a lightsaber.

... but consider -- once you learn to help yourself -- then you can work on using those same skills to help others who aren't so wise in the Force...

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]]>Working With The Force by KolThu, 15 May 2014 22:09:27 +0000WWTF - #5:Force Consciousness - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/12898-wwtf-5-force-consciousness#38526
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/12898-wwtf-5-force-consciousness#38526
Elemental Fire... rather magical in nature or the more 'muggle' for of a candle flame or log burning in a fireplace. Most 'regular folk' would tend to describe or label fire with human attributes and emotions such as anger, passion, and creativity -- even 'a hunger'. This provides humans a way to understand relate to fire from a human centric perspective, but it does not allow you to experience fire in other ways.

If you strip away the labels, attributes and emotions associated with fire, what you experience is something much more primal and raw; something that had more to do with fire as its own force as opposed to something mediated and interpreted by human perspective. Fire as an aspect of 'the Force' in all it's forms? One should recognize that even given the more 'open nature' of experiencing the fire, there is still some degree of applying a human perspective to the experience -- it is really hard to totally drop the 'human lens' of perception, but as much as possible one can be 'open' to experiencing fire on its own level.

Staring at an open hearth; 'opening' to the Fire; 'seeing' what it 'speaks' to you... it is still applying human perspective because... well, we are only human (to quote the original RoboCop). We, as humans, never fully get away from that human perspective.

This does not mean we should not try (do or do not; there is no try) to experience other forms of consciousness, but rather that we should acknowledge that on some level, at all times, we are interpreting a given situation through the lens of being human.

With all that babbled -- er, said --
By being aware of that lens AND working to polish it by working WITH the Force in a conscious manner, we can also open ourselves up to a given experience where we seek connection with something that is not 'human' (like the Force or 'Nature') and recognize when we are labeling interactions through the "being human" lens -- then we can take a step back (or forward) knowing we can 'polish that lens' and even put it aside to better focus on the interaction/experience. Experiencing 'it' (whatever 'it' may be -- person, place, the Force, 'energies' ) -- with a more open mind; willing to 'take in' beyond the conventional.

The paradox of consciousness and awareness is very profound and yet very simple.
It ca not be described because it has no objective qualities and no limitation. Sometimes it comes naturally to the surface when we are fully in the present moment and no longer lost in thought or mental projections. Pure consciousness/Force Consciousness is neither high nor low, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, neither good nor bad. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we always have an immediate access to that inner stillness. It can be experienced in an instant in all circumstances once we know how to pay attention to it. It is utterly peaceful and it is also insightful, so it sees through all illusions. Whenever there is a moment of being deluded, we can use that moment to practice settling in the very perfect sphere of the Buddha/Yoda mind without trying to change anything. When we reside in that liberated mind, we find the very thing we have been seeking all along.

Ya... wordy. Three years and it's still hard to 'say' in one sentence... but that seems to be true of many aspects of the Force, the Mind, and all that is involved when working with those things.
.
.

<< and thanks to Taylor Ellwood >>]]>Working With The Force by KolFri, 07 Feb 2014 06:36:35 +0000WWTF - #0: A Primer - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/18772-wwtf-0-a-primer#36928
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/18772-wwtf-0-a-primer#36928
The Force comes from your heart, from your feelings, from your deepest expressions of desire.
That is why 'going to the Dark Side' is so easy -- it can come from lust, from fear and anger, from things that are easy to feed and make grow.

Going to the Light Side is harder. Why?
It comes from something deeper than that -- a truer and purer source -- harder to tap, harder to keep, but ultimately more elegant, more powerful.]]>Working With The Force by KolFri, 13 Sep 2013 02:47:04 +0000WWTF - #6:Changing Your Brain - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/21703-wwtf-6-changing-your-brain#23417
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/21703-wwtf-6-changing-your-brain#23417Change Your Thinking; Change Your Life
We have touched on this topic before - self talk - how it can be constructive or destructive. Nearly all of it is a choice we make even those we are not consciously aware of. We still choose. We have chosen to accept most of our beliefs "without argument." That is, we unconsciously buy into what others have told us about ourselves and the world around us. Or we simply accept a certain interpretation of a past experience and assume that future events hold the same meaning.

For the most part, this allows us to function in a relatively healthy manner. Can you imagine trying to evaluate every teeny detail of every decision we make every day to determine if we truly believe it so that we can act on it. Brain Lock! Total paralysis. Instead - we pretty much live life on faith and, for the most part, I suppose this is good thing. (( Not having to decide if standing in the middle of the road is a 'wise thing' while a truck is zooming at you. Debate *after* you get out of the way! ))

But, as we tend to observe here at the IJRS, 'we' should all consider challenging our beliefs. Especially when we begin to realize that we're holding negative and self-limiting beliefs because "that's what I've always been told." Beliefs like: "I'm no good at math." ~ "I'm not a people person." ~ "I've never been good with directions." ~ "I'm a terrible cook." ~"I can never do that." ~ "That is too hard for me to learn."

ding ding ding ~~ Warning, Will Robinson!
Who says?! Who told you that? Probably a person, a cultural expectation, or past experience. BUT we can choose a different belief. It means we can challenge our beliefs and make meaningful changes to our way of thinking (and living) and NOT be victims to past influences or patterns of behavior.

So how do we change our beliefs?
We talk about it all the time in the IJRS. The answer is by thinking about our thoughts. Whenever we make a statement to ourselves or about ourselves, become aware of that self-talk. Bring it to light and then change your thinking about it. Turn negatives to positives..
.

When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs;

When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations;

When you change your expectations, you change your attitude;

When you change your attitude, you change your behavior;

When you change your behavior, you change your performance;

When you change your performance, you change your life!

- John C. Maxwell

]]>Working With The Force by KolSat, 11 Feb 2012 00:32:13 +0000WWTF - #3:Systems - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/12732-wwtf-3-systems#22893
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/12732-wwtf-3-systems#22893
Energetic 'computer' running 'intent programs' or whatever... they 'do' work. Some 'systems' work pretty generically, some rather specifically. Some are connected to 'angels and Gods/Goddesses from various cultures'. I mean, you typically would not call on Odin (the Odin energetic structure/system) for basic healing. Odin was never known as a kindly, healing kind of guy.

Be it a figure from an ancient culture or more modern day 'constructs', they *do* work and *do* work with energy.]]>Working With The Force by KolTue, 24 Jan 2012 00:33:07 +0000WWTF - #1:Working with the Force - by: Strysehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/12674-wwtf-1-working-with-the-force?start=20#12917
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/12674-wwtf-1-working-with-the-force?start=20#12917

I understand Stryse, thank you for clarifying. I would recommend that this type of activity be left for more advanced work since it does take quite a bit of focused intention. If you don't feel confident about it, don't attempt it yet.

Stryse, if you wanted, could you start a new thread discussing why you create entities, what types of purpose you add to them, etc. I think I have a hard time imagining why you would create one at all. Though actually I do have one experience that I can add to it. I don't want to clutter up this thread however. Also please add the stuff you mentioned above so people don't play without an awareness of the responsibility that goes into it.

Though this is Force/energy related, it is not necessarily 'Star Wars canon' as far as being strictly how some (or most) of the Jedi lovin' community might think. Some want the Force to just 'Be'... and not delve too deeply into the how or why or what makes it tick. Personally, I can take most on F/faith but.. I want to know more then 'wave the hand in a slight semi circle' ... these are not the droids you are looking for.

Maybe I'll post something on using the Force to effect Compulsions of the type that ObiWan was using there. After I finish my turning-to-article-sized post on entity creation.

Very nice stuff you're putting up though. I rather enjoy reading this kind of stuff and having it already be in a Jedi-flavor.

]]>Working With The Force by KolThu, 20 May 2010 22:27:31 +0000Healing Self - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/31118-healing-self#56638
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/31118-healing-self#56638
My area was having unusually dry, warmish weather well into December. I was out raking up more leaves. (My 2nd go 'round and yet, sure to be another this Spring.) I had been patting myself on the back for my second year of NOT getting a rage-ing case of poison ivy. When I say 'rage-ing', I mean, skin reactions all up and down both legs and arms and sometimes even on the neck and face with all the swelling, etc. that the lovely PI can do to a person. Seems I have always been a little 'sensitive' to that particular shrubbery. As part of the 'cosmic sense of humor' of the Universe, I, of course, suddenly saw a poison ivy outbreak on my hand about a week before Christmas.

I grabbed the special abrasive 'soap' that is supposed to neutralize the 'poison' and had all my lotions and potions on the counter; slept each night with socks over my hand so I would not touch my face or spread it around due to contact while tossing and turning in my sleep. Even by catching it early, my left hand was soon covered in 'bumps' and sores and inflamed tissue. Told you I reacted poorly to poison ivy. And, even with all the lotions and potions, some spots were looking downright 'emergency room' candidates as my right hand started showing a few bumps.

I was pissed. At myself for tempting 'the Universe' (ha ha, two years without an outbreak... nyah) and in general, for having to go through 'this' again. ( I've had some outbreaks take up to two months to cycle 'up' and 'down' before going totally away.)

I had just grabbed some stupid book off the local library shelves... about using your mind/subconscious to 'use the field of potential of the Universe'. (They said, call it 'quantum energy', God Force, or 'that Star Wars Force'... or your Uncle Bob... just be sure, 'it is there' as potential waiting to work with you. Not controlled BY you; nor you being controlled by IT.) The idea that this is a field of potential which connects us all together. And is part of the 'basic fabric' of how everything exists. Not one you have to bow to or offer up tithes or burnt offerings or swear to never wear plaid on alternate Sundays. Just a 'force'... like light or gravity or atomic bonds. It just is.

So, I said, what the heck. That night, I laid in bed and said, "Okay subconscious and 'whatever you are', this is BS about my body and this poison ivy. I've got two finger that are turning crimson red and are close to internal infections and this spreading BS is just that.. BS. I give you THREE DAYS. 72 whole hours to trigger my body into 'full alert healing mode'.

Of course, being the greedy bastard I am, I also put in a bit about working on a pulled muscle in my back I got from those 'leave chores'. I mean, if we are healing, we might as well hit the high points. So, I stopped lotions and potions and pills and gave my hands 3 days. The only thing I did was to keep it loosely covered with gym socks -- that whole, not spreading anything to clothing or furniture.

Three days later, my fingers were 'normal colored'. All the 'bumps' were tiny scabs. I can tell those 'near infection' places were deep because they still showed up as 'pinker than average' for about a week after the '3 day time limit'. And, my back is not in continuous pain like it had been. Sadly, that means I will soon be doing crunches... which I had promised I'd start in 2018.

Placebo? Maybe. But, as noted, my 'typical' spreads of poison ivy are rampant and take many weeks before they start healing and looking 'okay'.

The 'field of potential' connected with my subconscious and 'healed me'? *shrugs* One 'test' does not provide adequate data points. So, I am going to keep 'trying things'. And, maybe even work it into some 'wide awake' meditation sessions for added juice. I mean, it is an infinite 'sea' of potential we swim in every second we are alive, why not enjoy the swim?]]>Working With The Force by KolWed, 10 Jan 2018 00:27:34 +0000WWTF - #4:Healing - Mind Stuff - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/31089-wwtf-4-healing-mind-stuff#47407
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/31089-wwtf-4-healing-mind-stuff#47407
>>
Self Healing Benefits of Meditation
<<

The Self-Healing Benefits of Meditation
By Susan Piver

We all know that regular, moderate exercise is good for us. But imagine what it would be like if all you did was exercise: if you ran, walked, jumped, or lifted 24 hours a day. After only a very short while, exercise actually wouldn't be that good for you because without rest, exercise becomes counterproductive and even risky…and so it is with your mind. We spend all day (and sometimes all night, too!) in a whirlwind of thought. When there isn't something particular to think about (what to eat for breakfast, the tasks of the day, or what you're going to say in an upcoming meeting), we search restlessly for something to fill the gap-worries, hopes, television, and so on. We never allow our minds to rest. And without this precious self-healing time, our minds become exhausted and thoughts less trustworthy. Just as we need to stop moving our bodies every once in a while, we also need to stop moving our minds. But how? The idea can actually seem terrifying, not to mention impossible.

But it is quite possible. The practice of self-healing meditation is just this: resting the mind in silence and space, allowing it time to recover and rejuvenate.

Meditation does not mean sitting in a perfect state of peace while having no thoughts. Big misconception! Instead, meditation is about establishing a different relationship with your thoughts, just for a little while. Instead of attention being drawn off by whatever thought happens to present itself, in meditation, you watch your thoughts from a different, more stabilized perspective. You're training yourself to place your attention where and when you want.

This is very powerful. It gives you the ability to direct your thoughts (and mood) in more productive and peaceful directions. And, as has been demonstrated in the last few years, this ability has profound self-healing implications for physical and mental health.

Over the last 10 years, Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama has been engaged in formal top-level dialogues with leading scientists and brain researchers from M.I.T., Harvard, the University of Wisconsin, and others. Until several years ago, these annual conversations were held in private as simple but powerful inquiries into each other's methods for understanding the mind. Recently, the results of this dialogue, and resulting studies into meditation, have been made public, and they're fascinating.

When studying the brainwaves of meditating monks, Dr. Richard Davidson, director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, found that brain circuitry is different in long-time meditators than it is in non-meditators. Here's how: when you are upset - anxious, depressed, angry - certain regions of the brain (the amygdala and the right prefrontal cortex) become very active. When you're in a positive mood these sites quiet down and the left prefrontal cortex - a region associated with happiness and positivity - becomes more active. In studying meditating monks, Davidson found they had especially high activity in this area.

One of the things that is so amazing about this finding is that for a long time, scientists thought that each individual was wired with certain "set-points" for happiness, depression, and so on. This study shows that the brain can rewire itself and alter its set points - simply by the self-healing power of thought.

We've all read reports that stress can affect health and immunity; Dr. Weil has emphasized this repeatedly. An ulcer, for example, has direct correlation with emotional stress. An ulcer, simply defined, is the presence of certain bacteria in the stomach, plus stress. Other conditions have a noted relationship to stress, such as heart disease, lowered immunity, diabetes, and asthma. The acute stress that results from almost being hit by bus or thinking your house may have been broken into is not the kind of stress that has deleterious affect. This kind of stress mobilizes your emergency responses and capabilities. But, according to neuroendocrinologist Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, chronic stress is a different story. There is evidence that it shrinks neurons on the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in learning capacity, memory, and positive mood. The self-healing hippocampus has the ability to regenerate, if stress is discontinued. And meditation reduces stress, as shown in Dr. Davidson's research.

Medical research has shown that there are two main contributing factors to depression: a genetic predisposition, and environmental factors such as stress, loss, and trauma. The first factor, genetics, is not within our control. The second, however, is. We can't prevent loss and difficulty, but we can significantly alter our reactions to them. Zindel Segal, Chair in Psychotherapy in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, a pioneer in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has shown that MBSR participants are 50% less likely than other patients to relapse once depression is alleviated through medications and other therapies. This is because meditation teaches us, thought by thought, to alter our responses to stress, thereby increasing serotonin production, a neurotransmitter that influences mood, sleep, and appetite. Anti-depressants such as Prozac and Paxil, so-called SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) are drugs that increase serotonin.

As mentioned, meditation is often viewed as a way to relax -- and it is. But it's also a very precise strategy for maintaining health and training the mind in keen observation, increased power of concentration, and emotional stability.

It's important to learn meditation from an accredited source. Although it's a very simple practice, it's also quite precise. Please visit my Web site,
, for a listing of resources.

*****

Meditation can help you save your own life.
Please practice daily.]]>Working With The Force by KolSat, 06 Jun 2015 04:34:10 +0000WWTF #2A - Grokking: The Next Connection - by: Kol Drakehttp://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/31126-wwtf-2a-grokking-the-next-connection?start=10#47118
http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/forum/wwtf/31126-wwtf-2a-grokking-the-next-connection?start=10#47118Addendum(s) --

It is nice to know I am not the only one who plays with ideas and methodologies. Here is a webpage entry about Grokking Food!

In my Sociology class, I recently had to do what Dr. Helford calls a Zen Experiment. The basics of the experiment is to study my dinner for five minutes before eating. When I eat, not to use any type of utensils, and to be experiencing the process. Then I had to go to the bathroom and study the toilet for ten minutes. Finally, after that ten minutes, I dump some of my food in the toilet... look at it... then flush. I had to also turn in a report for this. This Zen Experiment was called Grokking Food. "Do you grok me," is the wordless question that our food is asking silently asking by just existing. If you anything like me, at first you might not know what grok means. It originally came from Robert Heinlein’s book Strangers in a Strange Land. The author used the word grok to literally mean “to drink” in the Martian language. Within the book, a character describes it this way:

Grok means to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed — to merge, blend, intermarry, lose identity in group experience. It means almost everything that we mean by religion, philosophy, and science — and it means as little to us (because we are from Earth) as color means to a blind man.

Grokking is the act of trying to understand and identify with something or someone. During the course of the Grokking Food Zen experiment, I did not come to any major revelations, only some interesting thoughts.

When I received the Grokking Food assignment, I showed it to some of my friends and we had a good laugh about how weird it was. Prior to cooking the food that would be used for the experiment, I put a good amount of thought into what I would use. I did not want to eat something that would be too gross to eat with my fingers. Top Roman seemed to be a good choice, and something that I eat quite often. My Top RominTo the basic Creamy Chicken Top Roman I added butter, an egg, and cut-up hunks of meat. I have known for a while that Top Roman is unhealthy, but I have never taken much time to stare or think a lot about it. Looking at the bowl of food, made me start to loose my appetite. I even started thinking about the digestive process. I noticed that the noodles looked suspiciously like the small intestines. Coating the edges of the bowl and the outskirts of the noodles was a greasy yellow liquid, which sloshed around slightly when I picked up the bowl for a closer inspection. On the meat and noodles were small black specks, most likely seasoning. I took a little bit of time and focused past the noodles, looking at them as if they were some sort of hidden picture. All I saw was a blurred and formless blob. My mind kept returning to thoughts of preservatives and chemicals known to be within my dinner. After the five minutes of observation time, I squished the bowl in-between my hands, and tipped it back. The noodles were incorporative, and stuck to the walls of the bowl. For a second, I had freighting of my dipping my bear hands into the bowl, and shoving handfuls of the sludge into my mouth. The very idea of that was horrendous; I wanted no part in it. I maneuvered my face into the small confines of the bowl. The thought of removing my mouth with stings of Roman dangling from my beard popped into my head. I tipped the bowl back again, and tried to suck another mouthful of food in. Interestingly it was more of a chore to be accomplished to eat the food, then a satisfying meal. Normally I enjoy eating, and try to savor the food, but with this I just wanted to get it over with. I also found myself eating at a much faster pace then normal.

The next segment of the experiment was to go the bathroom and study the toilet. Looking at the toilet, I started thinking about how long ago it’s last cleaning was. It took everything within me to not go and quickly grab some cleaning supplies and clean the toilet as a part of my observations. Thinking on this note, got me to realize how neglected the toilet is. The toilet is just a product for utility. The toilet is only thought of when needed, and then quickly left by the wayside. After the ten minutes was on my timer, I dumped the bowl of excess food into the toilet. Inside the toilet bowl, the food just floated and half sunk. Food like this is an utterly disgusting sight. After looking at the food, and the swirling cloud floating in the water, I pushed the handle down and flushed the toilet.

Grokking my food, is in a sense the closest that I have had come to my food. Eating is something that takes a lot of preparation and time everyday, but is rarely thought about. Really, the utility of just eating food, even if we enjoy it, is similar to the utility of using the toilet. It is something that I under normal circumstances do not want to think about. My mom has told me about the importance of being mindful in daily life, but rarely do I actually implement it. It is difficult to really concentrate on what is going on, and not just be on autopilot or thinking about a million other topics. Mindfulness is experience life as it happens, in the moment. It also seems there are two different “digestion processes” that we use frequently. First, is the process eating and deposing of food physically. Second, is the ingestion of our waste into the toilet and it’s digestion into various pipes and other avenues under our cities until it is it find its way our of our system. So the question must be, do you ever grok your food?